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By Ramzy Baroud.

Thousands of people recently marched in London to commemorate Quds Day, an annual
day of solidarity with the Palestinian people that emanated from Tehran some 26
years ago.

I neither wish to contend nor corroborate the sincerity of the call, made by
Ayatollah Khomeini, in a time when the Palestinian people endure, unaided, the
unbearable brunt of the Israeli occupation, international isolation and its
subsequent economic boycott, and the burden of their leadershipsâ€™ own folly, that of
factionalism and lack of political coherence.

However, the scene in London was too surreal, and brought into question the
usefulness of such displays of solidarity with the Palestinians. As Hezbollah and
Iranian flags and banners wavered in the cold London breeze, and posters of Iranian
leaders sprung everywhere, I failed to spot one Palestinian flag, one positive
message, one helpful chant. It was only when the black clad Neturei Karta rabbis
made their entrance that the Palestinian flag was introduced into the march.

I grew partially irritated and utterly confused as marchers made their way through
the city, eventually descending on the gates of the American embassy, where a small
stage and a few microphones awaited fiery speakers; then, the cries of â€œdown with
the USAâ€ and â€œwe are all Hezbollahâ€ rang across the city, as American security
officers took position, preparing for what could become a showdown with the
seemingly intoxicated protesters.

Befuddled at the spectacle, its lack of any true meaning or relevance to Palestine
at all, at the unhappy, or alarmed faces of the passersby and the usefulness of
affiliating Palestine with such militancy, and more, I retreated. Finding my way
back to my apartment with utter difficulty through the ever expanding city, I
contemplated: Have I right to question the motive of the organizers, however
misguided their presentation might be? But is it not immoral to exploit the cause of
Palestine as that of inclusive justice, as opposed to theocratic exclusiveness, for
self-exultation and political ends?

But the debate can indeed be stretched much further into another, neglected by an
utterly pertinent one, that of Palestine as a pressing tragedy seeking urgent remedy
versus that of an postponed historic grievance without any realistic diameters,
relevance to the real world, or needless, to say, a real plan of action.

Regardless of its many flaws and imperfections, no other national struggle in the
world has assimilated itself, or has been inadvertently assimilated, to symbolize so
many things to so many different people, as has the Palestinian struggle. And yet,
despite the intricate layers of sense and understanding that have sought to
encapsulate the Palestinian struggle, Palestine itself lingers in the worldâ€™s
consciousness merely as a symbol.

Palestine is the last domicile for those seeking deliverance, and the ultimate place
next to heaven for those in quest of salvation. There, it has been written that the
tireless hunt for spiritual quintessence shall come to an end; the armies shall meet
there, once more; they shall fight in the name of God, an Armageddon not like any
other, of which victory has already been promised to the righteous.

Palestine has also been a rallying cry for the dispossessed and for the aspiring
underdog. Its letters have been inscribed in blood on prison walls throughout Israel
and the Arab world as a promise of victory or as a lamentation of defeat.

When anti-globalization activists take on neo-imperialist institutions, they raise a
Palestinian flag, and when Venezuelaâ€™s poor brought Hugo Chavez back to power in
April 2002, a Palestinian flag also wavered in the wind.

Palestine also had its fair share of political exploitation. Former Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein fought his Iranian foes, in some of the cruelest and most costly
wars, in the name of Palestine, and in the name of Palestine Iran fought back. Arab
nations have long hidden behind liberation-of-Palestine slogans to excuse their
ineptitude and to rationalize their oppression.

And in the United States, Palestine takes on a plethora of unique and often deadly
meanings. Itâ€™s a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled and a market for politicians
wishing to sell their will to the highest bidder. Itâ€™s a major and everlasting news
headline that, despite its ominous presence, seems to teach and evoke nothing except
the intentional misrepresentation of the facts.

As for Palestine the reality â€” the suffering, the loss, the hopelessness and hurt,
the refugee camps, the checkpoints, the expanding settlements, the encroaching
Israeli wall, the ruined lives, the packed prisons, the anger and prevailing sense
of betrayal, the desperation and human bombs, the shattered economy, the bulldozed
orchards, the more than 50 years-long fear of the future â€” it seems to be the least
relevant point.

Symbolic Palestine â€” Palestine the dream â€” has for long hijacked Palestine the
reality. Thus when Palestine is discussed, examined and scrutinized, the frame of
reference is hardly the one invoked when any other similar conflict is discussed.

Its resolution is rarely seen pertinent to international law or human rights edicts
and is barely understood â€” as it should be â€” in terms of power and strategy. Rather
itâ€™s a subject of flared imaginations, religious fantasy and fictitious constructs.

One cannot and must not undermine the efforts of the inspiring activists whose
awareness of the Palestinian reality on the ground is unmatched and whose sincere
efforts to achieve peace with justice in Palestine translate to more than a few
heart-rending words and phrases, but steady action and unequaled readiness to labor
and even sacrifice for their beliefs. However, itâ€™s this wrestle between the real as
opposed to figurative and abstract awareness that shall define the course of action
that is likely to follow.

If Palestine continues to be understood â€” or misunderstood â€” outside its proper
frame as a national struggle for rights within the appropriately corresponding
international context, then little can be expected from any attempts to remedy its
ailments.

It is time to distance Palestine from further interpretations and understand it as
it is. Otherwise, Palestine, its people and conflict shall be confined to the
ever-augmented edifices of rhetoric with no connection to the real aspirations of a
real people with real demands, awaiting justice and a moment of peace.

-Excerpts of this article appeared in Ramzy Baroudâ€™s latest book: The Second
Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a Peopleâ€™s Struggle (Pluto Press, London),
available on Amazon.com, Plutobooks.com and many bookshops.